Lawmakers, flight attendants, passengers oppose TSA proposal to cut screening at airports

CNN Exclusive: TSA considers ending security screenings at small airports
CNN Exclusive: TSA considers ending security screenings at small airports

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CNN Exclusive: TSA considers ending security screenings at small airports 03:00

(CNN)If the Transportation Safety Administration eliminates security checkpoints at small airports, like the one Bryant Garrett runs in Redding, California, he worries nobody will be checking the bags and pockets of the hundreds of passengers who board planes there every week bound for San Francisco.

"Who would it be?" asked Garrett, the manager of Redding Municipal Airport, who had heard about the proposal, first reported by CNN on Wednesday.
    "I, as the airport, don't want to take on either the liability nor the cost, and I'm quite certain the airlines don't want to take that on. So if TSA backs out, there's a void, and I don't know who would fill it."
    Internal documents dated June and July obtained by CNN show a TSA working group is considering ending screening at more than 150 small- and medium-sized airports, which, like Redding, have commercial planes with fewer than 60 people per flight. Passengers connecting to other flights at larger hubs would go through screening before boarding their next flights, according to the documents.
    TSA projections called for savings of $115 million annually and a "small (non-zero) undesirable increase in risk." An agency spokesman said the idea "is not a new issue" and the ending of screening is allowed under "the regulations which established TSA."
    Redding's airport has six arriving and departing flights daily, each carrying about 50 passengers. Besides terrorism, Garrett said he was concerned with the logistics of screening passengers before their connecting flights, and he wondered who would pay for the armed security guard stationed at the airport; currently it's TSA.

    Lawmakers upset

    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a letter to TSA that it is "crucial we continue to maintain one level of security and safety across our nation's airports."
    "TSA documents proposing to scrap critical passenger security screenings, without so much as a metal detector in place in some airports, would effectively clear the runway for potential terror attacks," the New York Democrat said. "It simply boggles the mind to even think that the TSA has plans like this on paper in the first place."
    Sen. Ed Markey wrote in a letter to TSA on Thursday he is "deeply troubled by this proposal." The Massachusetts Democrat noted that on September 11, 2001, terrorists boarded the two airplanes that felled the World Trade Center in Boston.
    "We vowed to never repeat the mistakes of the past, which is why I urge you to reconsider any proposal that could jeopardize our aviation security," Markey wrote.
    Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, noted that the government's airport security fees, which are automatically added to commercial airline tickets, are not earmarked for TSA.
    "If the administration is truly concerned with TSA's budget, it should urge Congress to ensure 100 percent of passenger security fees go to TSA so it can provide the level of security that terrorist threats necessitate," he said.
    Thompson, who is from Mississippi, also noted the proposal could be bad for airports "especially in rural America."

    Flight attendants, passengers upset

    A major union of flight attendants vowed to "fight any measure to weaken aviation security."
    "We are absolutely against removing TSA from any airport, no matter how small or large," the Association of Flight Attendants said in a statement. "TSA, together with other aviation workers, keep our skies safe. We promised to never forget after September 11."
    At the Redding airport baggage claim, Allena Jones said her children fly to Los Angeles every summer.
    "My children fly out of here every summer," Jones said. "If there is no security here for their protection, they would not fly out of this airport."
      Another passenger, Pam Roberts, called the proposal "a bad idea," but said it would not deter her from flying.
      "Oh, I probably would," she said with a laugh. "I'm an adventurous type."
            #####EOF##### Govt: China could take down U.S. power grid - CNNPolitics

            The U.S. government thinks China could take down the power grid

            Could China cripple U.S. power grid?
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            Story highlights

            • The head of U.S. Cyber Command said China has the ability to attack the U.S. power grid
            • Adm. Michael Rogers also cited other actors and nation-states that could attack utilities, but he did not name them
            China and "probably one or two other" countries have the capacity to shut down the nation's power grid and other critical infrastructure through a cyber attack, the head of the National Security Agency told a Congressional panel Thursday.
            Admiral Michael Rogers, who also serves the dual role as head of U.S. Cyber Command, said the United States has detected malware from China and elsewhere on U.S. computers systems that affect the daily lives of every American.
            "It enables you to shut down very segmented, very tailored parts of our infrastructure that forestall the ability to provide that service to us as citizens," Rogers said in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.
            Rogers said such attacks are part of the "coming trends" he sees based on "reconnaissance" currently taking place that nation-states, or other actors may use to exploit vulnerabilities in U.S. cyber systems.
            A recent report by Mandiant, a cyber-security firm, found that hackers working on behalf of the Chinese government were able to penetrate American public utility systems that service everything from power generation, to the movement of water and fuel across the country.
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            Snipers attack U.S. electrical grid
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            NYT: NSA bugged devices without internet
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            "We see them attempting to steal information on how our systems are configured, the very schematics of most of our control systems, down to engineering level of detail so they can look at where are the vulnerabilities, how are they constructed, how could I get in and defeat them," Rogers said. "We're seeing multiple nation-states invest in those kinds of capabilities."
            Admiral Rogers declined to identify who the other countries, beside China, because of the classified nature of their identities. Russia is generally regarded as also having an aggressive cyber program.
            In addition to nation-state actors, Admiral Rogers noted the increasing presence of "surrogate" criminal actors in cyberspace that serve to obscure the hidden hand of criminal activity done on behalf of formal nation-states.
            "That's a troubling development for us," Rogers said.
            Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, the retiring chairman of the committee, called the groups "cyber hit men for hire" for nation-state actors in cyberspace.
            The testimony also comes in the wake of a report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project that cited a prediction by technology experts that a catastrophic cyber-attack that causes significant losses in life and financial damage would occur by 2025.
            Admiral Rogers told the committee he did not disagree with the assessment.
            In addition to the threats from specific nation-states, Admiral Rogers said there are already groups within the U.S. cyber architecture who seek to cause major damage to corporate and other critical sectors of the American economy.
            "It is only a matter of the when, not the if, that we are going to see something traumatic." he said.
                  #####EOF##### Opinion: Would NSA surveillance have stopped 9/11 plot? - CNN

                  Would NSA surveillance have stopped 9/11 plot?

                  Story highlights

                  • NSA and defenders say its bulk surveillance could prevent another 9/11
                  • Peter Bergen: True story of 9/11 wasn't a failure to have enough intelligence data
                  • He says the Bush administration failed to connect the dots, but they were plentiful
                  • Bergen: U.S. officials often fail to properly interpret or share the data the government collects
                  The Obama administration has framed its defense of the controversial bulk collection of all American phone records as necessary to prevent a future 9/11.
                  During a House Intelligence Committee hearing on June 18, NSA director Gen. Keith Alexander said, "Let me start by saying that I would much rather be here today debating this point than trying to explain how we failed to prevent another 9/11."
                  This closely mirrors talking points by the National Security Agency about how to defend the program.
                  In the talking points, NSA officials are encouraged to use "sound bites that resonate," specifically, "I much prefer to be here today explain these programs, than explaining another 9/11 event that we were not able to prevent."
                  Peter Bergen
                  On Friday in New York, Judge William H. Pauley III ruled that NSA's bulk collection of American telephone records is lawful. He cited Alexander's testimony and quoted him saying, "We couldn't connect the dots because we didn't have the dots."
                  But is it really the case that the U.S. intelligence community didn't have the dots in the lead up to 9/11? Hardly.
                  In fact, the intelligence community provided repeated strategic warning in the summer of 9/11 that al Qaeda was planning a large-scale attacks on American interests.
                  Here is a representative sampling of the CIA threat reporting that was distributed to Bush administration officials during the spring and summer of 2001:
                  -- CIA, "Bin Ladin Planning Multiple Operations," April 20
                  -- CIA, "Bin Ladin Attacks May Be Imminent," June 23
                  -- CIA, "Planning for Bin Ladin Attacks Continues, Despite Delays," July 2
                  -- CIA, "Threat of Impending al Qaeda Attack to Continue Indefinitely," August 3
                  The failure to respond adequately to these warnings was a policy failure by the Bush administration, not an intelligence failure by the U.S. intelligence community.
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                  Rep. King: Snowden is a disgrace
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                  A case of missed opportunities
                  The CIA itself also had its own spectacular failure in the run up to 9/11, which wasn't a failure to collect intelligence, but a failure of information sharing. The CIA had quite a bit of information about two of the hijackers and their presence in the United States before 9/11, which the agency didn't share with other government agencies until it was too late to do anything about it.
                  The government missed multiple opportunities to catch al Qaeda hijacker Khalid al-Mihdhar when he was living in San Diego for a year and a half in the run up to 9/11, not because it lacked access to all Americans phone records but because it didn't share the information it already possessed about the soon-to-be hijacker within other branches of the government.
                  The missed opportunities in the al-Mihdhar case are well-documented. The CIA failed to "watch-list" al-Mihdhar and another suspected al Qaeda terrorist, Nawaf al-Hazmi, whom the agency had been tracking since they attended an al Qaeda summit in Malaysia on January 5, 2000.
                  The failure to put Mihdhar and Hamzi on a watch list meant that immigration and law enforcement authorities were not alerted to their presence when they entered the United States under their real names. Ten days after the meeting in Malaysia, on January 15, 2000, al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar flew into Los Angeles.
                  The CIA also did not alert the FBI about the identities of the suspected terrorists so that the bureau could look for them once they were inside the United States.
                  An investigation by the CIA inspector general -- published in unclassified form in 2007 -- found that this was not the oversight of a couple of agency employees but rather that a large number of CIA officers and analysts had dropped the ball. Some 50 to 60 agency employees read cables about the two al Qaeda suspects without taking any action.
                  Some of those officers knew that one of the al Qaeda suspects had a visa for the United States, and by March 2001, some knew that the other suspect had flown to Los Angeles.
                  The soon-to-be hijackers would not have been difficult to find in California if their names had been known to law enforcement. Under their real names, they rented an apartment, got driver's licenses, opened bank accounts, purchased a car and took flight lessons. Al-Mihdhar even listed his name in the local phone directory.
                  It was only on August 24, 2001, as a result of questions raised by a CIA officer on assignment at the FBI, that the two al Qaeda suspects were watch-listed and their names communicated to the bureau. Even then, the FBI sent out only a "routine" notice requesting an investigation of al-Mihdhar. Nothing substantive came of this request.
                  A month later, al-Hamzi and al-Mihdhar were two of the hijackers on American Airlines Flight 77 that plunged into the Pentagon, killing 189 people.
                  The CIA inspector general's report concluded that "informing the FBI and good operational follow-through by CIA and FBI might have resulted in surveillance of both al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi. Surveillance, in turn, would have had the potential to yield information on flight training, financing, and links to others who were complicit in the 9/11 attacks."
                  It's about the sharing
                  These multiple missed opportunities challenge the administration's claims that the NSA's bulk phone data surveillance program could have prevented the 9/11 attacks. The key problem was one of information sharing, not the lack of information.
                  Obama administration officials who defend the NSA bulk collection of phone records program cite the failure to detect al-Mihdhar's presence in San Diego before 9/11 as a reason to justify the program.
                  Then-FBI Director Robert Mueller argued before the House Judiciary Committee on June 13 that bulk collection of telephone records might have prevented 9/11.
                  "Before 9/11, there was an individual by the name of Khalid al-Mihdhar, who came to be one of the principal hijackers. He was being tracked by the intelligence agencies in the Far East. They lost track of him. At the same time, the intelligence agencies had identified an al Qaeda safe house in Yemen.
                  "They understood that that al Qaeda safe house had a telephone number, but they could not know who was calling into that particular safe house. We came to find out afterwards that the person who had called into that safe house was al-Mihdhar, who was in the United States in San Diego. If we had had this program in place at the time, we would have been able to identify that particular telephone number in San Diego."
                  As documented above, however, the government missed multiple opportunities to catch al-Mihdhar, and the failure was one of information sharing inside the U.S. intelligence community. Since we can't run history backward, all we can say with certainty is that it is an indisputable fact that the proper sharing of intelligence by the CIA with other agencies about al-Mihdhar may well have derailed the 9/11 plot. And it is merely an untestable hypothesis that if the NSA bulk phone collection program had been in place at the time that it might have helped to find the soon-to-be-hijackers in San Diego.
                  Indeed, the overall problem for U.S. counterterrorism officials is not that they don't gather enough information from the bulk surveillance of American phone data but that they don't sufficiently understand or widely share the information they already possess that is derived from conventional law enforcement and intelligence techniques.
                  An unfortunate pattern of cases
                  What was true of the two 9/11 hijackers living in San Diego was also the unfortunate pattern we have seen in several other significant terrorism cases:
                  -- Chicago resident David Coleman Headley was central to the planning of the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Yet, following the 9/11 attacks, U.S. authorities received plausible tips regarding Headley's associations with militant groups at least five times from his family members, friends and acquaintances. These multiple tips were never followed up in an effective fashion.
                  -- Maj. Nidal Hasan, a military psychiatrist, killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. Yet intelligence agencies had intercepted multiple e-mails between Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric living in Yemen who was notorious for his ties to militants. The e-mails included a discussion of the permissibility in Islam of killing U.S. soldiers. Counterterrorism investigators didn't follow up on these e-mails, believing they were somehow consistent with Hasan's job as a military psychiatrist.
                  -- Carlos Bledsoe, a convert to Islam, fatally shot a soldier at a Little Rock, Arkansas, military recruiting office in 2009. Shortly before the attack, Bledsoe had traveled to Yemen. As a result, Bledsoe was under investigation by the FBI yet he was still able to buy the weapons he needed for his deadly attack when he was back in the United States.
                  -- Nigerian Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab attempted to blow up Northwest Flight 253 over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009 with an "underwear bomb." Luckily, the bomb failed to explode. Yet, a few weeks before the botched attack, AbdulMutallab's father contacted the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria with concerns that his son had become radicalized and might be planning something. This information wasn't further investigated.
                  AbdulMutallab had been recruited by al Qaeda's branch in Yemen for the mission.
                  The White House's review of the underwear bomb plot concluded that there was sufficient information known to the U.S. government to determine that AbdulMutallab was likely working for al Qaeda in Yemen and that the group was looking to expand its attacks beyond Yemen. Yet AbdulMutallab was allowed to board a plane bound for the United States without any question.
                  All of these serious terrorism cases argue not for the gathering of ever vaster troves of information but simply for a better understanding of the information the government has already collected and that are derived from conventional law enforcement and intelligence methods.
                  Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.
                      #####EOF##### T-Mobile customers' info breached after Experian hack

                      T-Mobile customers' info breached after Experian hack

                      tmobile store rainy

                      Experian has suffered a major data breach. Hackers have made off with personal information of 15 million people who applied to sign up for T-Mobile's service last month.

                      Anyone who applied for a regular T-Mobile USA postpaid plan between Sept. 1, 2013 and Sept. 16, 2015 might be affected. T-Mobile used Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus, to conduct credit checks on its customers.

                      And now T-Mobile's CEO is livid.

                      "Obviously I am incredibly angry about this data breach and we will institute a thorough review of our relationship with Experian," T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a public statement. "I take our customer and prospective customer privacy VERY seriously."

                      Experian said hackers broke into its computer system in September and accessed a computer server full of that information.

                      Hackers took T-Mobile customer names, addresses, Social Security numbers, birthdays, and even sensitive identification numbers (like a driver's license, military ID or passport number.)

                      Experian, which gathers vast amounts of incredibly personal information on all Americans, made clear that hackers didn't access its other computers that house that data.

                      "This was an isolated incident of one server and one clients' data," Experian said in a public fact sheet.

                      However, Experian has been involved in data breaches in the past. In a previous incident, it allowed a hacker to steal untold millions of identities from its database through another company.

                      It's unclear what criminals have done with the stolen T-Mobile data. This type of information typically appears for sale on black markets. Hackers then amass the stolen information to build large, searchable databases that make it easy for anyone to steal your identity for a small price. A stolen identity leads to stolen tax refunds, ruined credit and worse.

                      Experian's solution might make you uneasy, though. It's offering to provide T-Mobile applicants two years of free credit monitoring and identity protection -- which would require you to fork over more information to the company and confirm its accuracy.

                      These types of data breaches have become so common that CNNMoney built a tool that tracks what hackers know about you.

                      T-Mobile CEO: Potential buyers should be swooning
                      T-Mobile CEO: Potential buyers should be swooning

                      CNNMoney Sponsors

                      #####EOF##### U.S. pulls negotiating team from Pakistan – CNN Security Clearance - CNN.com Blogs
                      U.S. pulls negotiating team from Pakistan
                      June 11th, 2012
                      01:09 PM ET

                      U.S. pulls negotiating team from Pakistan

                      By Barbara Starr

                      The U.S. is withdrawing its negotiating team from Pakistan because after several weeks, the two sides have failed to reach an agreement on re-opening land routes from Pakistan into Afghanistan that have been used to carry supplies for the war.

                      "We have not reached resolution," said George Little, Pentagon press secretary. He noted that some of the team left Pakistan over the weekend, and others are expected to leave shortly. "We expect others to leave soon unless circumstances change."

                      The group had been in Pakistan for about six weeks, according to Little.

                      Little would not say whether the decision to leave came before or after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's remarks last week that the U.S. was running out of patience with Pakistan's safe havens for terrorists including the Haqqani network.Pakistan closed two routes for NATO supplies into Afghanistan last year after a number of Pakistani forces were inadvertently killed along the border in a U.S. strike. Little said the US still hopes to resolve the matter and get an agreement to reopen the border crossings.  He noted the U.S. could still supply troops in Afghanistan and complete the withdrawal from Afghanistan by using northern land routes, but added "the more options you have the better."

                      Pakistan wants to charge new fees for NATO crossings which the U.S. has not agreed to. However "there is an agreement in concept" to reopen the routes, Little said.

                      soundoff (87 Responses)
                      1. When the Cows Come Home

                        "Amnesty International is calling for an impartial investigation into mass graves found in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Sunday, India's Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission released a report saying a three-year investigation had uncovered 2,156 unidentified bodies in 38 sites in the region. In a statement released Monday, Amnesty International asked Indian officials to allow impartial forensic experts to carry out a thorough investigation of the skeletal remains. The rights group also urged Indian authorities to ensure the safety of the witnesses who gave statements to police during the investigation. Indian authorities conducted the inquiry in response to allegations that Indian security forces have committed rights abuses in fighting a more than two-decade-long Muslim separatist insurgency. Rights activists say at least 8,000 people have gone missing in Indian Kashmir since the separatists began fighting in 1989 for independence from Hindu-majority India or a merger with Muslim-majority Pakistan. Rebel attacks and Indian government crackdowns have killed at least 50,000 people

                        June 13, 2012 at 1:24 pm | Reply
                      2. Mazal Rosenbloom

                        The road to peace and prosperity in this world has been paved with the blood of Pakistanis. L'Chaim Pakistan

                        June 13, 2012 at 12:58 pm | Reply
                      3. Chuck

                        WE SALUTE YOU, PAKISTAN......The Americans acknowledge the innumerable sacrifices made by Pakistanis in this ongoing war. The Americans appreciate the bullets taken on the chest by the Pakistanis in fighting the enemy. The Americans appreciate the ultimate sacrifices made by Pakistanis in sacrificing their lives while trying to make America and the world safe.

                        June 13, 2012 at 10:49 am | Reply
                        • Thinker

                          oh jeez son you ever sleep are you gna keep writing same bull everywhere under 3000 diff names ???
                          get out of ur ammis basement or ur wifes room or appas room .. same thing if ur paki 😉
                          you pple laugh at pakistanis with all this nonsence you write ...cos even you know all you writing is never ever will come true ROLF

                          June 13, 2012 at 11:54 am | Reply
                          • Chad

                            What's your point, pumkin pie? Either offer some insights or STFU. You are wasting space on this board. BTW get an education and enhance your writing skills. Comprende?

                            June 13, 2012 at 12:15 pm |
                      4. Thinker

                        Can anyone please tell me why muslims are so scared of hindus and jews... there are billions of muslims and only few hinuds and jews ... still all muslims in India and pakistan are treated as 3rd class citizens.. muslims in India are slapped around and used as slaves and same goes in middle east .. isreal 1 small country and whole middle east is scared of him

                        muslims stop crying and grow a pair

                        June 13, 2012 at 9:40 am | Reply
                        • Bucky

                          Wonder why Shakespeare felt the need to write a whole play on the character called "Shylock"? Google it and you will find the answer. Get back to me when you have done so and gotten some religion while doing so. Happy Easter Egg hunting.

                          June 13, 2012 at 10:57 am | Reply
                          • Thinker

                            like she sed grow a pair .. and stop converting from Hindus to muslims and now muslim to christian .. be faithfull to one religion .. fakrudeen

                            June 13, 2012 at 11:55 am |
                      5. shazia andrews

                        born in pakistan but raised in states and married to a indian christian i have seen all three cultures ..pakistan and India need to fix kashmir problem and pakistan need to get rid of terrorist camps and schools ..fact is pakistan hid obl or where does his wives and kids come from in pakistan??? i hope my birth country one day will be shinining star 🙂

                        June 13, 2012 at 9:19 am | Reply
                        • Bucky

                          No wonder you are so confused !

                          June 13, 2012 at 10:51 am | Reply
                          • shazia andrews

                            can you shine some light on ur comment sir and why you think i am confused ?

                            June 13, 2012 at 12:08 pm |
                      6. shazia andrews

                        i love all dillusional kids ..kid keeps writing under differnet names and replying to himslef .. like his head in sand ...thinking everything he says exactly happning...pakistan is atleast 70 to 80 years behind any normal secular country ...
                        whats the point of bieng so called nuclear power when you cant even take down a simple drone ...

                        anyways whats ever blah blah you keep writing and replying to urself under diff names ..hope comes true and pakistan
                        can be called a great place

                        June 13, 2012 at 9:13 am | Reply
                        • Bucky

                          Even if one accepts your premise, do you have anything intelligent to offer as others? I don't think so. So keep your head down and listen to what others are saying. maybe you will get a free education along the way.

                          June 13, 2012 at 10:53 am | Reply
                      7. Sajjad Sialkoti

                        “While the storm clouds gather far across the North and East,
                        Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free,
                        Let us be grateful for a land so fair,
                        Let us thank for the foresight to seek Independence from India,
                        As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.”

                        GOD BLESS PAKISTAN,
                        Land that we love.
                        Stand beside her, and guide her
                        Thru the night with a light from above.
                        From Kashmir to Karachi and onto New Delhi,
                        And to the oceans, white with foam
                        GOD BLESS PAKISTAN, Our home sweet home.

                        June 12, 2012 at 9:27 pm | Reply
                      8. krm1007 ©™

                        Besides emerging as a regional power, the time has come for Pakistan to take the leadership role in the Islamic World and lead them to the path of progress, prosperity and glory. The only nuclear nation in the Islamic World, Pakistan has shown the world that it can stand up to the nuances of world politics on principles and partake in global affairs. Also, that it can equally contribute to the progress of this planet called Earth. The sacrifices of the Pakistani nation in making this world safe is unmatched and deserves a seat at the table of the permanent members of The UN Security Council.

                        June 12, 2012 at 6:33 pm | Reply
                        • krm1007 ©™

                          lol hahahahaha i love afgan weed to brother keep the pipe burning 🙂

                          June 13, 2012 at 9:21 am | Reply
                      9. Deja Vu

                        It appears to me that Muslims are the fastest growing segment of world society today. As others are withering away the Muslims seem to be rising again with their contributions as was the case historically when they ruled India and Europe and left behind a legacy of science, art, architecture, culinary et al. One only needs to go to Spain and India to witness this. As immigrants, it is a good thing to be aware of your glorious heritage and be connected with it. The Italian immigrants do it as do the Germans, Polish, Jewish, Hispanic and many other cultures. What really pleasantly surprised me was what I witnessed in the Middle East. A tolerant society that has come so far in a few years. Most importantly providing job and economic opportunities to all, Hindus/Indians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Europeans, Americans, Africans, South Americans, Chinese, and Russians etc. Never have I witnessed such openness and equal opportunities unless you go back to the times of Muslim rule in India and Spain. My conclusion is that the Muslims get it. They are striving to once again take their leadership role in the world order and take this civilization to its next level of excellence. The climb to success and progress is not a linear curve but a stochastic one. Let us join in wishing our Muslim brethren well and much success in their endeavors. If we can't help them let's not pull the rug from under them.

                        June 12, 2012 at 6:16 pm | Reply
                      10. Reprinted With Permission ©

                        PAKISTAN, We Love Ya !!!!
                        We Worship Ya!!!

                        THANK YOU …. THANK YOU…. THANK YOU!!!!
                        FOR MAKING USA SAFE FOR MAKING THE WORLD SAFE>>>>>>>>>>>>
                        Since Sep 11, 2001, over 200,000 Pakistani civilians, armed forces personnel have either sacrificed their lives or wounded; more than 3.5 million have been displaced while the country has lost over
                        US $ 1 Trillion due to terrorism.

                        Despite sacrifices, Pakistan was still engaged in 'the war for world peace”.

                        No other country has even come close to selflessly sacrificing so much.

                        Pakistan, no one can ever repay you enough for your contributions.
                        You deserve a permanent seat in the UN Security Council for your contributions to world peace and emergence of a new world order. We welcome your rise as the new regional military power. God Speed.

                        June 12, 2012 at 6:10 pm | Reply
                        • marc

                          up yours and your new world order...it seems like you are killing everyone with it.....you call that "order"...your an idiot.

                          June 12, 2012 at 8:53 pm | Reply
                      11. Arthur

                        Pakistan hid bin Laden, al-Libi, Khalid Sheik Mohammed and thousands of other mooslime terrorists. Cut aid and bomb 'em.

                        June 12, 2012 at 5:19 pm | Reply
                      12. Feroz - Pakistan

                        If alternate routes are available then take them. Why make a big deal going through Pakistan. Issue closed. Next, let's talk about stopping the genocide in Indian Occupied Kashmir. That is what USA needs to be focusing on rather than retreating from a war zone in an untimely manner with unfinished business.

                        June 12, 2012 at 2:04 pm | Reply
                        • pakhtonnistan

                          after u.s withdrawal, india needs to move in to stop genocide in paistan, pok, sindh and in baluchistan. china and russia should be encouaged to join with india in this to bring peace in pakistan / afganistan. india needs to take this leadership at any cost to save south asia.

                          June 12, 2012 at 3:19 pm | Reply
                          • Khalistan: Land For Sikhs

                            That would have been nice but India had its chance and blew it. Just too meek of a people, pardon my french. Now Pakistan is the significant regional nuclear power with geographic advantage. Time to kiss the ring, my gulab jamun. We need to start the independence movement again.

                            June 12, 2012 at 4:27 pm |
                          • Punjabi

                            hey my sikh brother one day will take full punjab ..part from pakistan and India and our khalistan dream will come true ..

                            Khalistan zindabad

                            June 13, 2012 at 9:23 am |
                      13. Pete J

                        However you slice it, the unintented consequence of the Afghanistan occupation has been the emergence of Pakistan as a regional power with advanced multimodal nuclear defensive and offensive capabilities.

                        June 12, 2012 at 1:56 pm | Reply
                      14. Dee Dee

                        Clearly, USA 's foreign policy has been hijacked by elements that are funding Obama's election coffers. We will request list of contributors and research further and share results with you. This butting heads with Pakistan is conduct unbecoming from a world power. The rebuff from Pakistan is indeed humiliating for USA. USA needs to pick fights with countries their size such as China, Russia, India etc.

                        June 12, 2012 at 1:34 pm | Reply
                      15. krm1007 ©™

                        as a pakistani i would like to say ... bhaw bhaw bhaw bhaw bhaw bhaw bhaw bhaw bhaw

                        June 12, 2012 at 12:29 pm | Reply
                      16. krm1007 ©™

                        Without a doubt Pakistan needs to move away from American sphere of influence. Not many countries/friends/allies have benefited from American friendship. Certainly not Pakistan. As Yogi Berra said, "When You Reach a Crossroad, Take It " !!! This is your opportunity to walk away from American grip. It will mean a lot of sacrifices short term but will be worth it in the long run. DO IT !!

                        June 12, 2012 at 10:19 am | Reply
                        • Trevor

                          I'll list the countries that are allies of the U.S. and/or "friendly" towards the U.S. and you list the ones that are not, and then we'll compare our lists on how they "stack up" against each other...you're first.

                          June 12, 2012 at 12:20 pm | Reply
                          • axby

                            @Trevor OK, lets start with South Korea.

                            June 12, 2012 at 1:19 pm |
                          • Johann

                            love the kimchee; don't care much for dog meat.

                            June 12, 2012 at 1:58 pm |
                      17. Hawk_Pakistan

                        Perhaps the UN or ICC can investigate/debate the legality of USA/NATO actions. Or perhaps go to arbitration. There are ways to resolve this if one is intends to do it in a civilized manner. Otherwise, Pakistan is ready to take the gloves off. It is better to die with dignity rather than live in subjugation as some other countries around in the region.

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:52 am | Reply
                      18. Bucky

                        Pakistan has essentially told USA to go pound sand. This is not what USA was expecting. They are used to butt kissing from other meekly neighboring countries. Has left the Americans stunned. When you pull negotiators out that means you have lost the battle and out of ideas and have lost respect. Does not bode well for USA.

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:46 am | Reply
                        • axby

                          Contrary to what you are saying, it is the US which is pounding Pakistan with drone strikes several times a week. The frequency and intensity of the drone strikes have become increasingly worse with Pakistan's uncooperative stance. Coincidence? I think not.

                          June 12, 2012 at 1:30 pm | Reply
                          • Dee Dee

                            Nothing to be proud about. It is called bullying. As we all know this act is also against all norms of International law and protection of National Sovereignty under the United Nations Charter to which USA and Pakistan are signatories. Such acts of aggression are uncalled for from a civilized nation that purports to be a global leader. If your point is that it is free for all, then giddyup and keep on looking over your shoulders. This is the very reason that China is emerging as an alternate world power.

                            June 12, 2012 at 1:45 pm |
                          • axby

                            It's called counter-terrorism not bullying. Primitive strategy like Islamic terrorism is no match for modern technology like drones. The counter-terrorism efforts will not stop and Pakistan will continue to incur heavy losses. The outcome is inevitable - the writing is on the wall - the sooner Pakistan realizes that less the damage it would be subjected to.

                            June 12, 2012 at 5:26 pm |
                      19. Charlie

                        We are broke fighting this war in afghanistan, iraq, etc. We can't even afford to pay pakistan for transit costs. Why don't we ask them to give us a loan at same underwriting criteria as world bank/imf has for them.

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:40 am | Reply
                        • WhatWilliDo

                          I believe Pakistanis have spent $billions in addition to what the US has paid. Those were the services invoices that the US is not paying – as if it were AID. Those were pre-approved invoices by US liaison officers in country but the State dept. and Pentagon are not paying.
                          Pakistan have used the loans it got from all over the world to finance those expenses and now the US does not want to pay the bill.

                          June 13, 2012 at 4:52 am | Reply
                      20. Reprinted With Permission ©

                        While most countries are languishing in economic malaise and engulfed in bubble bursts, Pakistan is poised for a record growth in the months and years to come as the western retreat from Afghanistan begins.

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:24 am | Reply
                      21. Reprinted With Permission ©

                        PAKISTAN !!!!

                        THANK YOU …. THANK YOU…. THANK YOU!!!!
                        FOR MAKING USA SAFE FOR MAKING THE WORLD SAFE>>>>>>>>>>>>
                        Since Sep 11, 2001, over 200,000 Pakistani civilians, armed forces personnel have either sacrificed their lives or wounded; more than 3.5 million have been displaced while the country has lost over
                        US $ 1 Trillion due to terrorism.

                        Despite sacrifices, Pakistan was still engaged in 'the war for world peace”.

                        No other country has even come close to selflessly sacrificing so much.

                        Pakistan, no one can ever repay you enough for your contributions.
                        You deserve a permanent seat in the UN Security Council for your contributions to world peace and emergence of a new world order. We welcome your rise as the new regional military power. God Speed.

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:19 am | Reply
                      22. jr

                        Pakistan's response so far has been swift, strong and meaningful to the US/NATO et al. Americans kicked out of the airbase, logistic supply support halted to Afghanistan, US ambassador summoned and admonished..

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:16 am | Reply
                      23. jr

                        US/NATO need to understand that this is not cowardly and meek India they are dealing with.....this is Pakistan they are messing with. DON'T MESS WITH PAKISTAN.....People!!!! US/Nato were obviously not expecting such a strong response from Pakistanis.

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:14 am | Reply
                      24. Samuel Brinckerhoff PhD

                        Pakistan’s WMD Assets keep the neighbors and the world awake by its mere military symbolism both defensive and offensive. Therein lies its beauty as a deterrent. The delivery system also has been perfected by Pakistan for medium range conflict which includes a 1500+ mile range. Current focus is on rapid deployment with MIRMs. One can draw his or her own conclusions by looking at a map

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:10 am | Reply
                        • Samuel Brinckerhoff PhD

                          This strategy has enabled Pakistan to emerge and coronate itself as a regional military power

                          June 12, 2012 at 8:11 am | Reply
                      25. Zane Abdullah

                        Good for USA. Please don't send the negotiators back. Good luck and good bye. Fight your own wars.

                        June 12, 2012 at 8:03 am | Reply
                      26. Abbasi_Pakistan

                        Pakistan has taken a very principled stand. The Pakistan parliament has spoken and their position is very clear to USA et al. Apologize for murdering human beings. Follow International law with respect to sovereignty of nations.This is not about money but about standing up to international bullies who in cohort with bad apples in neighborhood are trying to muscle Pakistan. So, people, listen up.

                        June 12, 2012 at 7:09 am | Reply
                        • Trevo

                          The U.S. does apologize for collateral damage resulting in the killing of innocent civilians inside Pakistan and has paid out compensation for our actions almost all the time. You need to get out a dictionary and look up the definition of "murder" and if it fits the killing of terrorists and/or those that harbor terrorists that threaten and/or murder your countrymen or you citizens SO BE IT.

                          Lets be very clear here...EVERY country INCLUDING the Pakistani governments has "murdered" people, so get off your "principled" and seemingly "blameless" high horse as if your country is not just guilty for doing the EXACT SAME THINGS.

                          Finally, respecting soverignty of nations? ALL drone strikes conducted by the U.S. inside Pakistan have the full CONSENT and AUTHORIZATION by the Paskistani government...so drop the "illegality" crap. You have no idea the coordination and "hoops" the U.S. government goes through when these operations are conducted...and it is plainly evident by your "crying foul" comments.

                          June 12, 2012 at 7:35 am | Reply
                        • Butch

                          I agree @ Abbasi. However, I don't think USA is getting the message. These are election times in USA and rationality does not prevail during such times, unfortunately. Clouds will clear later on this year. What is interesting is that Pakistan may control the outcome of the US elections this year and they know it. So they are pushing the buttons to get the US Admin to fall in line.

                          June 12, 2012 at 8:58 am | Reply
                      27. Kyle

                        The government of the United States does not negotiate with the terrorists.

                        June 11, 2012 at 11:03 pm | Reply
                      28. Wendy

                        What are we doing in Afghanistan to begin with? Did not the 9/11 attackers originate fron Saudi Arabia? Hmmmm

                        June 11, 2012 at 8:41 pm | Reply
                        • Trevor

                          Wendy- Hmmm...that is like saying lets attack Canada because the folks were born in Canada but trained and based their operations out of Mexico, with the consent of the Mexican government...think your comment through next time you engage your mouth.

                          June 12, 2012 at 7:44 am | Reply
                        • Butch

                          We could not attack Saudi Arabia as disruption in oil supply would have created havoc throughout the world particulalry USA. Plus the Bush family had and still has substantial business dealings with the king there. So the only way to save face was to put the monkey on Afghanistan's shoulder as it was an orphan to begin with. Now, being in Afghanistan also gives us an excuse to be geographically closer to China, establish miliatry bases there, tap into the natural resources for ourselves and allies and open up the trade/energy corridors having implications all the way to Europe which is NATO's domain.

                          June 12, 2012 at 9:17 am | Reply
                          • Trevor

                            I've heard these claims of U.S. intentions to establish bases to launch strikes against China...that is absolutely absurd, the vast majority of China's infrastructure is on their east coast some 2,600 nm away, out of range for all strike aircraft except B-2s and those aircraft would have to traverse practically the entire country through a layered GTACS, hundreds of tactical/strategic SAM sites and several dozen fighter/interceptor bases. In addition, I've been to these "bases" and NOTHING is being done to build them up into major facilties to support aircraft like the B-2 to operate. And how about providing creditable links to wide spread articles discussing big bad U.S. companies just waiting to move in and exploit this area.

                            June 12, 2012 at 12:13 pm |
                      29. Chuck

                        Don't let the Americans/NATO et al put the Afghanistan monkey on your shoulders again, Pakistan.
                        This is their problem not yours, Pakistan. Be Smart !!

                        June 11, 2012 at 8:34 pm | Reply
                      30. Samuel Brinckerhoff PhD

                        Pakistan is riding the wave to regional dominance….a phenomenon that is best described by Shakespeare as follows::::

                        There is a tide in the affairs of men.
                        Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
                        Omitted, all the voyage of their life
                        Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
                        On such a full sea are we now afloat,
                        And we must take the current when it serves,
                        Or lose our ventures.

                        Now is the time to kick the American behind to the curb and move forward with respect and honor.

                        June 11, 2012 at 8:31 pm | Reply
                        • Trevor

                          When the U.S. pulls its money and intelligence capability that Pakistan has been sucking off for 10+ years now, it will be the beginning of a Muslim extremist take over and dominance of the entire region from Afghanistan to Kashmir.

                          June 12, 2012 at 7:53 am | Reply
                          • Butch

                            As you will recall, the subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh et al) were all at one time ruled by muslim dynasty called The Moghals" who left behind all the prosperity as we know it today. People are nostalgic of these times and inability of these countries to add further value. So a return to an overalll muslim rule is not out of the realm of possibility. Keep an eye on the demograhpics as the answer lies there !!

                            June 12, 2012 at 9:04 am |
                      31. Say It As You See It ©

                        Excellent opportunity for Pakistan to break loose of American influence. It is better to starve/live in poverty but in dignity and freedom than be dictated by the likes of thankless Americans who want to suck your blood for a bag of peanuts...that too unsalted!!

                        June 11, 2012 at 8:25 pm | Reply
                      32. Agha P

                        Americans need to learn to fight their own wars. With friends like Americans who needs enemies. One cannot win wars by throwing money at the problem .. you need b@lls!
                        As far as Pakistan is concerned, this about sums it up....

                        All hands on deck, Pakistan.
                        The world is lovely, bright and deep,
                        But we have promises to keep,
                        And miles to go before we sleep
                        And miles to go before we sleep.

                        June 11, 2012 at 8:17 pm | Reply
                      33. Bucky

                        Pakistan “RISING” has established itself as part of a very dynamic regional paradigm amalgamating it geographically with Central Asia, Middle East and Europe. While also situated at the gateway to the Arabian Gulf, Pakistan will also have access to the waters of the Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Arabian Sea, China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. This positions Pakistan at the crossroads to peace and prosperity in the world and economic well-being as well as military clout.

                        June 11, 2012 at 8:11 pm | Reply
                        • Trevor

                          Before you start touting "peace" you need to rid the country of terrorists blowing themselves up almost weekly across the country killing innocent people. Just a "little" problem they may want to deal with first...

                          June 12, 2012 at 7:58 am | Reply
                      34. adamclayton

                        only one person is soley responsible for this fail talks his name is Leon panetta when he talks trash in india about pakistan what he will get from pakistan then a finger salute what a goff is he..

                        June 11, 2012 at 6:16 pm | Reply
                      35. George Patton

                        This is the best news we had in months. Now let's all hope that Pakistan stands it's grounds and not cave in to the right-wing thugs in Washington D.C.!!!

                        June 11, 2012 at 5:55 pm | Reply
                      36. GaryS

                        Fine with me, lets take our money too and get the F out.
                        With friends like these who needs enemies. Screw em.

                        June 11, 2012 at 3:50 pm | Reply
                        • ddpp

                          and bomb those fuel trucks waiting on other side of the border on the way back!!

                          June 11, 2012 at 4:42 pm | Reply
                          • WhatWilliDo

                            @ddpp – Interesting solution. BTW – do you realize that Pakistan is a sovereign state that has helped us on every occasion and every time our business is done we LEAVE THEM STRANDED AND UNPROTECTED in an UGLY neighborhood. We are doing the same things all over again. Democrats in the white house will always undermine Pakistan. This is ridiculous.

                            June 11, 2012 at 7:03 pm |
                      37. krm1007 ©™

                        PAKISTAN.....The New Gateway to Central Asia and Europe.

                        With a population of over 180 million most of whom are well educated, English speaking, entrepreneurial and a cultural and social fit with Central Asians...Pakistan will now become the new face and gateway to Central Asia and Europe. Pakistan will thus span this region and provide the impetus for growth, prosperity and unity among these countries. These are new and exciting times for Pakistanis who should now look forward to their new leadership role aligned with Central Asia and Europe rather than the Subcontinent. We wish them much success as they have sacrificed the most during the past 30 + years creating a new world order.

                        June 11, 2012 at 3:26 pm | Reply
                        • ddpp

                          PAKISTAN.....The New Gateway of Islamic Terrorism to Central Asia and Europe.

                          June 11, 2012 at 4:40 pm | Reply
                        • jr

                          Perhaps gateway to New Delhi...@ddpp. What say you? lol
                          Love to see a highway connecting Shalimar gardens to Taj Mahal.

                          June 11, 2012 at 8:47 pm | Reply
                      38. krm1007 ©™

                        Across all religions and cultures it is a basic tenet of human decency that human lives are valued and apologies are offered to the aggrieved by those responsible for the deaths. It nothing more, the words of apology are soothing to the families of those who died. In this case, Pakistan's contention is that Afghan forces and Indian intelligence deliberately provided misleading information to US/NATO forces and used them to kill 24 Pakistani paramilitary soldiers.

                        June 11, 2012 at 3:05 pm | Reply
                        • krm1007 ©™

                          Due to the prevailing political climate in USA, the apology appears to be forthcoming after preventive measures are put in place to minimize political outfall, polls are conducted to gage the effect and a face saving exit from Afghanistan has been figured out. It is a matter of time. Meantime, it will be a gesture of utmost magnanimity and generosity by Pakistan to continue to enable friends and allies to achieve common goals by offering their resources and stand with them shoulder to shoulder. This is what separates men from boys. However, there should be no more free lunches. Pakistan has paid a disproportionate share of costs both in lives and kind in fighting this terror war to make USA, the World and its neighbors safe. Enough is enough.

                          June 11, 2012 at 3:09 pm | Reply
                          • loc1985

                            Basic Human tendency to apologize to the victims. So according to your logic Pakistanis are subhumans since
                            1. Massacre of millions of Bangladeshi literates,scholars,armymen,teachers by Pakistani Army ..no apologies
                            2. Killings of Baloch natives by Pakistani army....no apologies
                            3. Killing and dissappearance of lot of foreign journos by Pakistani ISI......no apologies
                            4. Karachi being used as a launch pad for terror attack in Mumbai ....no apoligies...

                            The list will go on.

                            June 11, 2012 at 3:17 pm |
                          • krm1007 ©™

                            As far as Pakistan-USA relations are concerned there are none and both countries need to move on in different directions. They have not been able to develop friendship in 60 years. The biggest favor that USA can do for Pakistan is to stop all reimbursements/aid. Pakistan should stand on its feet. With the right leadership this can be achieved in 9 months.

                            June 11, 2012 at 3:25 pm |
                      39. faster5

                        Mr Panetta’s complaint is that militants based in Pakistan cross into Afghanistan and join their comrades there to conduct attacks on foreign and Afghan forces. But before the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001-2002 there were no Afghan Taliban or other foreign extremists in Pakistan. There were no militant bases in Pakistan’s tribal areas. The region was hardly tranquil, simply because the tribes continued to be as hot-blooded as they have been for centuries, but there was nothing approaching the insurgency that now exists — that was caused entirely by the US invasion of Afghanistan.
                        Before the US invasion of Afghanistan there had been one single suicide bombing in Pakistan (in 1995, and that was by an Egyptian loony). Last year there were over forty. And since the US invasion of Afghanistan the entire border region has been destabilized and Pakistan’s internal security situation has become dire. In the years after the US invasion of Afghanistan drove Taliban and other militants out of the country the Pakistan army and the para-military Frontier Corps have lost 3,019 soldiers killed in operations against them along the Afghan border. 9,681 have been wounded.
                        There are over two million Afghan refugees being looked after in Pakistan which is host to the greatest number of refugees living in any country in the world. They are an enormous burden, culturally and economically, but they can’t go home because the US war has made it impossible for them to be assimilated in their own country. And Pakistan patiently accepts their presence and hopes for stability in Afghanistan so that they can go home.

                        June 11, 2012 at 2:42 pm | Reply
                        • AL

                          Thats not true Pakistan has been a hotbed for Militants for a very very long time and the world knew it. They helped the mujaheddin during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, during that time Pakistan also carried an enormous burden of Afghan Refugees larger than the one that it has now, yet the Americans helped Pakistan with the refugees during that time and they are doing it now also by providing billions of dollars in economic assistance. Yes Pakistani soldier were killed in an accidental airstrike , but many American soldiers and Afghan soldiers and civilians and Pakistani civilians have been killed by the militants that cross between the border. If Pakistan truly wants to be secured it only makes sense that it works with NATO and the US to stabilize Afghanistan, it would be good for both Afghan civilians and Pakistanis. Yet the Pakistani military is the one that rules Pakistan and it has for years, the civilian government is a puppet of the military, and dismantling the militant networks along the Afghan border would also put pressure on the military to do the same to the militant and terror groups that are in function along the border with India which Pakistan's military has supported for years.

                          June 11, 2012 at 3:11 pm | Reply
                        • Trevor

                          Those refugees being looked after by Pakistanis on primarily the U.S.'s dime...you can drop the finanical burden claim right now.

                          June 12, 2012 at 8:05 am | Reply
                      40. axby

                        Pakistanis are taking a short sighted view and do not realize the gravity of the situation. Their approach is reactionary rather than forward looking. It wouldn't work either financially or strategically. The US has negotiated $1250 fee for the northern route through other countries. It is unreasonable for Pakistanis to think that their outrageous $5000 price gouging would ever work after the alternate northern route agreement with other countries. So, financially the Pakistani demand does even not make sense.
                        Furthermore, the drones are pounding the terrorists with awesome success. And while the talks are suspended, the US will happily continue its drone strike against terrorists - and Pakistan has no leverage without the ongoing talks. So, this approach will not work strategically either.
                        Pakistanis are pushing themselves into a corner by taking a hard line position on apology and price gouging. Pakistanis are fast approaching a point of no return.

                        June 11, 2012 at 2:03 pm | Reply
                        • AlexShch

                          This may be viewed this way, but one also take into consideration of what else is at stake for both US, Pakistan, and other players involved.

                          Personally, if I were Putin, I would shutdown the so called "northern route" altogether effective immediately.

                          Yes, there are financial and political benefits for Russia by shipping US/NATO cargo and allowing to use Russia's airspace (same applies to Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, and Tadjikistan), but US presence in the region is also source of instability and radicalization of various extremest groups, which ultimately cause problems. This does not mean that US directly support and agitate these groups (although there were such instances in the past, Uzbekistan, 2005), but rather contribute into the general ismalization and radicalization of Taliban-like organization throughout Middle-Asia who are basically inspired by surviving and winning (in their views) Taliban in Afghanistan. Another problem is massive increase in drug production and trade. All these problems will became Russia's problems. Before the arrival of US life in Middle Asia was very boring: no election campaigns, no wars, nothing. Weather is good all year around. Same "bay" (typically a former Communist Party leader converted himself to a moderate Islam, but not practicing it any way) sits there and rules for a decade or two. Stability via stagnation. Just go to local farmers market to buy something and to entertain yourself.

                          June 11, 2012 at 3:48 pm | Reply
                          • axby

                            Putin has the brutal Chechen terrorists to worry about. Chechens have earned their pariah status with Russia and its allies. Pakistan miscalculated the risk and has been training Chechen terrorists. So, Putin would never shut down the northern routes – no way!! Putin would rather earn some goodwill with the West, especially to balance his Syrian imbroglio. The northern routes make sense both financially and strategically to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Putin would bless the northern distribution network.

                            June 11, 2012 at 4:22 pm |
                          • AlexShch

                            At first, Chechen terrorists have nothing to do with Afghanistan: this is completely unrelated problem. Besides what kind of help Putin can expect from the West is dealing with Chechen problems? Just to get a temporal ease in propaganda pressure? Meaning that some journalists who usually say something bad about Putin will abstain for a month or two, or go on vacation or something? Big deal.

                            June 12, 2012 at 2:08 pm |
                      41. Thor

                        They have every right to price gouge, when their weddings are being crashed by Hellfire missles....

                        It's time to rethink this foolish ME policy....

                        June 11, 2012 at 1:20 pm | Reply
                        • fromusofa

                          Pakistanies are ready to eat grass if they have to, but they will not let anyone intimidate them on thier own land at any cost....they can charg $10 million dollars per NATO truck to go thru thier territory or they can simply seal the border off completely forever no matter what. period...everyone should go to Pathan's resturant (Drug (Nashwar business) from North to drink thier tea...LOL

                          June 11, 2012 at 1:55 pm | Reply
                        • Trevor

                          Wendy- Hmmm...that is like saying lets attack Canada because the folks were born in Canada but trained and based their operations out of Mexico, with the consent of the Mexican government...think your comment through next time you engage your mouth.

                          June 12, 2012 at 7:43 am | Reply
                          • Trevor

                            My mistake...re-posted appropriately.

                            June 12, 2012 at 7:44 am |

                      Post a comment


                       

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                      #####EOF##### Insurance giant Anthem hit by massive data breach

                      Insurance giant Anthem hit by massive data breach

                      So you've been hacked... Now what?
                      So you've been hacked... Now what?

                      Hackers have stolen information on tens of millions of Anthem Inc. customers, in a massive data breach that ranks among the largest in corporate history.

                      The information stolen from the insurance giant includes names, birthdays, medical IDs, social security numbers, street addresses, e-mail addresses and employment information, including income data.

                      Anthem said there is no evidence that credit card or medical information was compromised. While damage is still being assessed, the compromised database contained up to 80 million customer records.

                      Formerly known as Wellpoint, Anthem (ANTM) is the second-largest health insurer in the United States. The company operates plans including Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Amerigroup and Healthlink.

                      Related: What hackers know about you

                      Although some news reports have linked the hack to the Chinese government, law enforcement sources and private security firms told CNN it's too early to tell.

                      Anthem pledged to individually notify current and former customers if their data has been stolen, and by late Wednesday evening, some members reported receiving e-mails from the insurer informing them of the breach. Anthem will offer free credit monitoring and identity protection services to affected customers.

                      "Anthem's own associates' personal information -- including my own -- was accessed during this security breach. We join you in your concern and frustration, and I assure you that we are working around the clock to do everything we can to further secure your data," CEO Joseph Swedish said in a letter to customers.

                      Anthem said the breach resulted from a "very sophisticated external cyber attack," and that law enforcement agencies were still working to identify the perpetrator. The company has retained Mandiant, a leading cybersecurity firm, to help in the investigation.

                      The insurer is the latest in a series of companies to suffer severe data breaches. Last year, hackers obtained credit card data for 40 million Target shoppers, as well as personal information -- including names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses -- for 70 million customers.

                      Records have also been stolen from Neiman Marcus, JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Experian, eBay (EBAY) and Home Depot (HD).

                      Related: Why should we trust the Sony PlayStation Network ever again?

                      The Federal Bureau of investigation said that it was aware of the intrusion, and it's investigating the matter. The agency also praised Anthem's decision to quickly address the breach.

                      "Anthem's initial response in promptly notifying the FBI after observing suspicious network activity is a model for other companies and organizations facing similar circumstances," the FBI said. "Speed matters when notifying law enforcement of an intrusion."

                      What to do if you're a customer: If you have Anthem insurance, there's not much you can do but sit tight for now. Anthem has set up a website, anthemfacts.com, with information about the hack.

                      In the next few weeks, Anthem will inform you by mail if your information was compromised. All impacted Anthem customers will receive some form of identity fraud protection, the company said.

                      E-mail addresses might have been stolen, but Anthem has not indicated that passwords were taken as part of the hack. You might want to consider changing your Anthem password, just to be safe. If you are concerned that your Anthem e-mail and password combination could have also been used to login to another service, you should change those passwords as well.

                      All Anthem customers should be on alert for scams. Hackers can use the information stolen from your account to impersonate you or your friends and family.

                      Related: You've been hacked! Here's what to do

                      Related: Why are we still using Social Security numbers to identify ourselves?

                      -- CNN's David Goldman, Jose Pagliery, Evan Perez and Simon Prokupecz contributed reporting.

                      CNNMoney Sponsors

                      #####EOF##### Electronics banned from cabins on some Middle Eastern and African flights to U.S.

                      Electronics banned from cabins on some Middle Eastern and African flights to U.S.

                      Large electronics banned from cabins on some flights
                      Large electronics banned from cabins on some flights

                      Airlines that fly from certain countries in the Middle East and Africa to the United States must soon require passengers to check in almost all electronic devices rather than carry them into the cabin, a U.S. official said.

                      BREAKING: Read the latest news here

                      The official said this will impact some airlines flying into the U.S. Another U.S. administration official says this covers devices larger than a cellphone.

                      An aviation official told CNN that there is a security concern regarding passengers boarding nonstop flights to the U.S. from specific countries. This relates to the "screening in [some] countries" for nonstop flights to the U.S.

                      They added that they believe a threat to the U.S. would be negated if a passenger transferred through a secondary city with additional and more trustworthy screening procedures. The directive is to ensure enhanced security measures at select airports for a limited duration.

                      In a written statement, the Department of Homeland Security said, "We have no comment on potential security precautions, but will provide any update as appropriate."

                      A State Department official says embassy officials have been notifying relevant countries and airlines.

                      Related: Trump travel ban is discouraging U.S. visitors

                      Another U.S. official says the ban on some electronics is believed to be related to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP. The intelligence community has been tracking this threat for some time, but the official said that some information from a recent U.S. Special Forces raid in Yemen contributed to the ongoing concern.

                      AQAP has been actively trying to build bombs that contain little or no metal content to target commercial aircraft. And the group's chief bomb maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri, has trained others to do so. To date, they are the only terror organization that has shown a marked effort to try to attack airlines, the officials said.

                      A third U.S. official said there has been concern about attacks via electronics for some months, but there wasn't enough information to warrant an airline action before.

                      An aviation official said U.S. carriers are not affected because none flies directly from the countries in question to the United States.

                      Related: Lawmakers look to stop shrinking airplane seats

                      Some airlines have commented on the new measures.

                      Etihad Airways in the United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it had received a directive from the U.S. government and was reviewing it. Emirates, another big carrier from the UAE, said it hadn't yet received any notification but would "comply with any new operational or regulatory requirements issued by the relevant authorities."

                      Turkish Airlines also confirmed that it had received a notice.

                      Saudi Arabian Airlines told its customers in a statement on Twitter that new measures from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration include a ban on laptops and tablets, like iPads and Kindles, in carry-on baggage on flights to the U.S. The measure will take effect Wednesday, it said.

                      Royal Jordanian Airlines tweeted Monday that it will ban most electronics from the cabins on its flights to and from its North American destinations. It later deleted its tweet without explanation.

                      royal jordanian electronics tweet
                      Royal Jordanian Airlines tweeted and then deleted this statement on Monday.

                      The Amman, Jordan-based carrier said that starting Tuesday it will only allow phones and medical devices to be carried in the cabin of its flights. All other electronics would be "strictly prohibited." The airline cited "concerned U.S. departments" without offering additional explanation.

                      The carrier said that laptops, tablets, DVD players and electronic games must be stored in checked baggage for its flights.

                      Royal Jordanian told CNN by Twitter message that "further updates will be announced soon."

                      The airline serves New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, as well Montreal and Detroit.

                      In 2014, the Transportation Security Administration required some passengers to show their electronics could power up over concern explosives were hidden in the devices.

                      -- Deborah Bloom, Isil Sariyuce and Barbara Starr contributed to this story.

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                      #####EOF##### Why are we spending $7 billion on TSA? (Opinion) - CNN

                      Why are we spending $7 billion on TSA?

                      Story highlights

                      Bruce Schneier is a security technologist and chief technology officer of Resilient Systems Inc. His latest book is "Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World." He blogs at schneier.com and tweets @schneierblog. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

                      (CNN)News that the Transportation Security Administration missed a whopping 95% of guns and bombs in recent airport security "red team" tests was justifiably shocking. It's clear that we're not getting value for the $7 billion we're paying the TSA annually.

                      But there's another conclusion, inescapable and disturbing to many, but good news all around: We don't need $7 billion worth of airport security. These results demonstrate that there isn't much risk of airplane terrorism, and we should ratchet security down to pre-9/11 levels.
                        We don't need perfect airport security. We just need security that's good enough to dissuade someone from building a plot around evading it. If you're caught with a gun or a bomb, the TSA will detain you and call the FBI. Under those circumstances, even a medium chance of getting caught is enough to dissuade a sane terrorist. A 95% failure rate is too high, but a 20% one isn't.
                        Bruce Schneier
                        For those of us who have been watching the TSA, the 95% number wasn't that much of a surprise. The TSA has been failing these sorts of tests since its inception: failures in 2003, a 91% failure rate at Newark Liberty International in 2006, a 75% failure rate at Los Angeles International in 2007, more failures in 2008. And those are just the public test results; I'm sure there are many more similarly damning reports the TSA has kept secret out of embarrassment.
                        Previous TSA excuses were that the results were isolated to a single airport, or not realistic simulations of terrorist behavior. That almost certainly wasn't true then, but the TSA can't even argue that now. The current test was conducted at many airports, and the testers didn't use superstealthy ninja-like weapon-hiding skills.
                        This is consistent with what we know anecdotally: The TSA misses a lot of weapons. Pretty much everyone I know has inadvertently carried a knife through airport security, and some people have told me about guns they mistakenly carried on airplanes. The TSA publishes statistics about how many guns it detects; last year, it was 2,212. This doesn't mean the TSA missed 44,000 guns last year; a weapon that is mistakenly left in a carry-on bag is going to be easier to detect than a weapon deliberately hidden in the same bag. But we now know that it's not hard to deliberately sneak a weapon through.
                        So why is the failure rate so high? The report doesn't say, and I hope the TSA is going to conduct a thorough investigation as to the causes. My guess is that it's a combination of things. Security screening is an incredibly boring job, and almost all alerts are false alarms. It's very hard for people to remain vigilant in this sort of situation, and sloppiness is inevitable.
                        There are also technology failures. We know that current screening technologies are terrible at detecting the plastic explosive PETN -- that's what the underwear bomber had -- and that a disassembled weapon has an excellent chance of getting through airport security. We know that some items allowed through airport security make excellent weapons.
                        The TSA is failing to defend us against the threat of terrorism. The only reason they've been able to get away with the scam for so long is that there isn't much of a threat of terrorism to defend against.
                        Even with all these actual and potential failures, there have been no successful terrorist attacks against airplanes since 9/11. If there were lots of terrorists just waiting for us to let our guard down to destroy American planes, we would have seen attacks — attempted or successful — after all these years of screening failures. No one has hijacked a plane with a knife or a gun since 9/11. Not a single plane has blown up due to terrorism.
                        Terrorists are much rarer than we think, and launching a terrorist plot is much more difficult than we think. I understand this conclusion is counterintuitive, and contrary to the fearmongering we hear every day from our political leaders. But it's what the data shows.
                        This isn't to say that we can do away with airport security altogether. We need some security to dissuade the stupid or impulsive, but any more is a waste of money. The very rare smart terrorists are going to be able to bypass whatever we implement or choose an easier target. The more common stupid terrorists are going to be stopped by whatever measures we implement.
                        Smart terrorists are very rare, and we're going to have to deal with them in two ways. One, we need vigilant passengers -- that's what protected us from both the shoe and the underwear bombers. And two, we're going to need good intelligence and investigation -- that's how we caught the liquid bombers in their London apartments.
                        The real problem with airport security is that it's only effective if the terrorists target airplanes. I generally am opposed to security measures that require us to correctly guess the terrorists' tactics and targets. If we detect solids, the terrorists will use liquids. If we defend airports, they bomb movie theaters. It's a lousy game to play, because we can't win.
                        We should demand better results out of the TSA, but we should also recognize that the actual risk doesn't justify their $7 billion budget. I'd rather see that money spent on intelligence and investigation -- security that doesn't require us to guess the next terrorist tactic and target, and works regardless of what the terrorists are planning next.
                                #####EOF##### AQAP trying to hide explosives in laptops, official says - CNNPolitics

                                AQAP trying to hide explosives in laptop batteries, official says

                                Story highlights

                                • Nine airlines have 96 hours to implement rules on the electrical devices
                                • The bans involve some of the widest-reaching aviation security measures since 9/11

                                Washington (CNN)Intelligence obtained in recent weeks found that an al Qaeda affiliate was perfecting techniques for hiding explosives in batteries and battery compartments of electronic devices, according to a US official.

                                The discovery that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was looking to exploit batteries and their compartments in laptops and other commercial electronic devices led the United States and United Kingdom to ban devices larger than a cellphone from certain flights, the US official told CNN.
                                  A US official told CNN that intelligence shows growing capability from ISIS, al Qaeda in Syria and al Shabaab as well AQAP.
                                  It is not fully clear to what extent these groups are sharing specific information, but "there is a growing pool of intelligence all pointing to threats to aviation" the official said.
                                  However, the officials said that ISIS is believed not to be as advanced in perfecting techniques for hiding explosives in electronics as AQAP.
                                  The new security restrictions, announced Tuesday, require airlines based in the Middle East and North Africa to prevent people flying from eight countries from bringing any device bigger than a smartphone aboard their aircraft. Instead, those electronics need to be stored in the cargo hold.
                                  The bans involve some of the widest-reaching aviation security measures taken since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

                                  Top carriers affected

                                  The US ban will affect more than 50 flights a day from 10 airports in the mainly Muslim countries, including major hubs such as Dubai and Istanbul, according to senior administration officials. The nine airlines affected were notified of the procedures by the United States at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday and must comply within 96 hours.
                                  The UK ban affects six countries, including two not on the US list: Tunisia and Lebanon.
                                  Top international carriers -- such as Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways, British Airways and Turkish Airlines -- are among those that will have to implement new restrictions.
                                  US officials told CNN on Tuesday that intelligence "indicates terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation" by "smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items."
                                  In February 2016, a bomb hidden inside a laptop detonated aboard a Daallo Airlines flight out of Mogadishu, Somalia. The bomber was killed and a hole was blown in the side of the fuselage. The aircraft landed safely.

                                  Not just a Trump decision

                                  An aviation official informed CNN that he was told firsthand by an intelligence official that this electronics ban was not a "political move."
                                  In fact, career employees are heavily involved in this decision, and this wasn't just a Trump administration decision, the aviation official said.
                                  Under the new restrictions, the electronic devices -- many of which have lithium ion batteries -- will now be carried in the cargo deck of the airplane, underneath the passenger cabin.
                                  Aviation safety experts and regulatory agencies have long warned that batteries shipped in bulk could cause a fire and spark a chain reaction that could bring down an aircraft. The International Civil Aviation Organization advised global regulators last year to ban bulk shipments of such batteries in the cargo holds of passenger jets.
                                  Some airlines are still seeking clarity on the reasoning behind aspects of the ban, according to the official. For example: If there is an immediate threat to aviation security, why is DHS giving airlines 96 hours to comply with the ban instead of implementing it immediately?
                                  But Rep. John Katko, R-New York, who has been briefed on the matter, said, "There's no question this is the right move."
                                  Katko said the ban is based on credible new and existing intelligence. The congressman said the list of airports that fell under the ban were based on the intelligence community's assessment of the information.
                                  The 10 international airports covered by the US ban are in Cairo, Egypt; Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE; Istanbul, Turkey; Doha, Qatar; Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Casablanca, Morocco; and Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
                                    The nine airlines are Egyptair, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
                                    As of Tuesday, Emirates, Etihad and Royal Air Maroc had announced the implementation of new rules limiting what electronic devices can be carried on flights to the United States and said it would start on Saturday.
                                          #####EOF##### NBC hack infects visitors in 'drive by' cyberattack

                                          NBC hack infects visitors in 'drive by' cyberattack

                                          nbc sites hacked
                                          NBC.com and related sites were exploited to dump malware on unsuspecting users' computers.

                                          Chances are, you know not to open that e-mail attachment from the "Nigerian prince" who wants to give you a hundred grand. But a hack of some NBC.com sites on Thursday proves you can accidentally download malware even when visiting a reputable website.

                                          The hack, which affected NBC.com and related sites for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and "Jay Leno's Garage," infected visitors to the compromised sites with the Citadel Trojan. The potent strain of malware is used for cyberespionage and to steal bank account information.

                                          Infecting computers with malware when they navigate to a website is called a "drive-by download," and cybersecurity experts say it's a growing -- and terrifying -- attack technique. Users who are simply surfing the Web can unwittingly stumble upon a hacked website, which may look completely normal.

                                          Security researcher Dancho Danchev, who wrote a detailed blog post about the attack,, told CNNMoney the hack was both invisible to the average user and tough even for security experts to track.

                                          "The cybercriminals behind the campaign embedded invisible ... elements on the main page, which they periodically rotated to prevent detection from security vendors and researchers," Danchev said.

                                          Related story: Hackers take aim at key U.S. infrastructure

                                          The tool used to inject malicious code into NBC.com is called RedKit. It first popped up in May 2012, and it has reared its ugly head many times since, Danchev noted.

                                          When a user clicks on a malicious Web site, RedKit checks whether the user is running outdated versions of software or browser plugins. If it does detect any outdated software, it exploits that weakness, installing malicious software on the user's computer. (Typically, those weaknesses get fixed in newer versions of the software.)

                                          Related: Microsoft says its computers were hacked as at Facebook and Apple

                                          While the identity of the cybercriminals isn't yet known, Danchev said he found a link between the NBC.com hack and a a group that spammed Facebook (FB) and Verizon Wireless (VZ) customers last year, phishing for account information.

                                          The NBC.com security breach was a sophisticated attack, unlike the amateur hacks of the Burger King (BKW) and Jeep Twitter accounts, which were overtaken on Monday and Tuesday.

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                                          #####EOF##### CNN Newsroom - CNN.com Blogs

                                          Today on CNN Newsroom

                                          The latest news and information from around the world. Also connect with CNN through social media. We want to hear from you.
                                          February 21st, 2015
                                          02:35 PM ET

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                                          Many militants fighting for ISIS are young men, some even in their teens. Here is the story of Islam Yaken who went from a private school in Cairo to fighting for ISIS.

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                                          Filed under: CNN Newsroom • Fredricka Whitfield
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                                          Fredricka Whitfield talks with actors Kevin Costner and Anthony Mackie about their new film "Black or White".

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                                          Fredricka Whitfield remembers Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks who passed away at the age of 83.

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                                          Should Brady have noticed deflated footballs?

                                          Fredricka Whitfield spoke with a former NFL Patriots player and a former supervisor of NFL Officials about the conspiracy surrounding the New England Patriots.

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                                          Loaded guns smuggled on planes

                                          A former Delta Airlines employee allegedly smuggled 153 guns in 20 U.S. domestic flights for the past 7 months. Brooklyn District Attorney, Ken Thompson, broke the news to the media and he speaks with CNN's Brooke Baldwin.

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                                          Filed under: Anchors • Brooke Baldwin • CNN Newsroom
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                                          Newlywed with cancer sees remarkable Improvement

                                          Married after her first month of cancer diagnosis, doctors thought a 25-year-old woman was fatally ill. But following a surprise wedding, there was an even bigger surprise: improving health. CNN's Brooke Baldwin speaks with Liza Heaton and her husband, Wyatt Heaton of Louisiana, about their journey through hardship and now hope.

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                                          Filed under: Anchors • Brooke Baldwin • CNN Newsroom
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                                          Musicians threaten to sue YouTube for $1B

                                          A music group representing 40 artists is threatening YouTube with a $1B lawsuit over performance rights. CNN's Brooke Baldwin talks to a singer from the band "Cracker" about the possible lawsuit.

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                                          Filed under: Brooke Baldwin • CNN Newsroom
                                          December 19th, 2014
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                                          Are satire movies like Sony's "The Interview" dying?

                                          Are satire films a dying genre?  CNN's Brooke Baldwin asks a long time movie critic in a post Sony hacking world.


                                          Filed under: Anchors • Brooke Baldwin • CNN Newsroom
                                          December 19th, 2014
                                          06:41 PM ET

                                          Clooney: Hollywood failed to defend Sony

                                          In a recent interview, George Clooney said Hollywood refused to defend Sony Pictures amid the hacking attack.  Brooke talks with the man who interviewed him, Mike Fleming.


                                          Filed under: Anchors • Brooke Baldwin • CNN Newsroom
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                                          07:12 PM ET

                                          Cyberterror Attack: Did World Underestimate North Korea?

                                          Did World Underestimate North Korea? CNN's Brooke Baldwin speaks with Jim Walsh, a research associate with MIT's Security Studies Program about the secret "Bureau 121" and North Korea's capabilities in cyberterror.

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                                          « older posts
                                          #####EOF##### Target: Hacking hit up to 110 million customers

                                          Target: Hacking hit up to 110 million customers

                                          4 steps to ensure your credit info is safe
                                          4 steps to ensure your credit info is safe

                                          The data breach at Target was significantly broader than originally reported: The company said Friday that 70 million customers had information such as their name, address, phone number and e-mail address hacked in the breach.

                                          Target said the personal data stolen could affect its past shoppers -- not just those who have visited the store recently.

                                          The breach occurred in the weeks following Thanksgiving when as many as 40 million customers may have also had credit or debit card information stolen. A Target spokesperson said there may be overlap between the two groups, but they do not currently know the extent.

                                          Target said it would try to reach customers for whom it has e-mail addresses to inform them of the breach. It cautioned that it would not ask customers to provide any personal information and warned customers not to respond to any e-mail claiming to be from Target.

                                          "I know that it is frustrating for our guests to learn that this information was taken and we are truly sorry they are having to endure this," said Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel.

                                          Customers will not be liable for the cost of any fraudulent charges. Target is also offering one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to all customers who shopped in U.S. stores. Customers will have three months to enroll in the program.

                                          Related: 4 things to do after your credit card is hacked

                                          Experts suggest that customers who used debit or credit cards at Target between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 should contact their card issuer and get a new card with a new account number. They should also change their PIN and monitor their account carefully for any questionable purchases.

                                          Who hacked Target?
                                          Who hacked Target?

                                          Today's data breach doesn't necessarily mean that thieves can gain access to customers' bank or credit card accounts. But it does put them at greater risk for identity theft. There is also a risk that thieves can use the information to try to create new accounts in a customer's name.

                                          Related: Lawsuits piling up on Target over hacking

                                          Target (TGT) also said Friday that holiday sales fell sharply after the hacking news. Sales at stores open at least a year fell between 2% and 6% after the announcement. The company also said that the costs related to the hacking will hurt earnings.

                                          Target also announced it will close some U.S. stores in May of this year due to their financial performance.

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                                          #####EOF##### Why extending laptop ban makes no sense (opinion) - CNN

                                          Why extending laptop ban makes no sense

                                          Kelly: Will expand electronics ban if needed
                                          Kelly: Will expand electronics ban if needed

                                            JUST WATCHED

                                            Kelly: Will expand electronics ban if needed

                                          MUST WATCH

                                          Kelly: Will expand electronics ban if needed 01:53

                                          Story highlights

                                          • Department of Homeland Security may be planning to extend of the electronics travel ban to other international flights
                                          • Bruce Schneier: Ban will only exacerbate the divide between the haves and the have nots -- without making us any safer

                                          Bruce Schneier is a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School and a fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society. He blogs at www.schneier.com. The views expressed in this commentary are his own.

                                          (CNN)The Department of Homeland Security is rumored to be considering extending the current travel ban on large electronics for Middle Eastern flights to European ones as well. The likely reaction of airlines will be to implement new traveler programs, effectively allowing wealthier and more frequent fliers to bring their computers with them. This will only exacerbate the divide between the haves and the have-nots -- all without making us any safer.

                                          In March, both the United States and the United Kingdom required that passengers from 10 Muslim countries give up their laptop computers and larger tablets, and put them in checked baggage. The new measure was based on reports that terrorists would try to smuggle bombs onto planes concealed in these larger electronic devices.
                                          Bruce Schneier
                                          The security measure made no sense for two reasons. First, moving these computers into the baggage holds doesn't keep them off planes. Yes, it is easier to detonate a bomb that's in your hands than to remotely trigger it in the cargo hold. But it's also more effective to screen laptops at security checkpoints than it is to place them in checked baggage. TSA already does this kind of screening randomly and occasionally: making passengers turn laptops on to ensure that they're functional computers and not just bomb-filled cases, and running chemical tests on their surface to detect explosive material.
                                            And, two, banning laptops on selected flights just forces terrorists to buy more roundabout itineraries. It doesn't take much creativity to fly Doha-Amsterdam-New York instead of direct. Adding Amsterdam to the list of affected airports makes the terrorist add yet another itinerary change; it doesn't remove the threat.
                                            Which brings up another question: If this is truly a threat, why aren't domestic flights included in this ban? Remember that anyone boarding a plane to the United States from these Muslim countries has already received a visa to enter the country. This isn't perfect security -- the infamous underwear bomber had a visa, after all -- but anyone who could detonate a laptop bomb on his international flight could do it on his domestic connection.
                                            I don't have access to classified intelligence, and I can't comment on whether explosive-filled laptops are truly a threat. But, if they are, TSA can set up additional security screenings at the gates of US-bound flights worldwide and screen every laptop coming onto the plane. It wouldn't be the first time we've had additional security screening at the gate. And they should require all laptops to go through this screening, prohibiting them from being stashed in checked baggage.
                                            This measure is nothing more than security theater against what appears to be a movie-plot threat.
                                            Banishing laptops to the cargo holds brings with it a host of other threats. Passengers run the risk of their electronics being stolen from their checked baggage -- something that has happened in the past. And, depending on the country, passengers also have to worry about border control officials intercepting checked laptops and making copies of what's on their hard drives.
                                            Safety is another concern. We're already worried about large lithium-ion batteries catching fire in airplane baggage holds; adding a few hundred of these devices will considerably exacerbate the risk. Both FedEx and UPS no longer accept bulk shipments of these batteries after two jets crashed in 2010 and 2011 due to combustion.
                                            Of course, passengers will rebel against this rule. Having access to a computer on these long transatlantic flights is a must for many travelers, especially the high-revenue business-class travelers. They also won't accept the delays and confusion this rule will cause as it's rolled out. Unhappy passengers fly less, or fly other routes on other airlines without these restrictions.
                                            I don't know how many passengers are choosing to fly to the Middle East via Toronto to avoid the current laptop ban, but I suspect there may be some. If Europe is included in the new ban, many more may consider adding Canada to their itineraries, as well as choosing European hubs that remain unaffected.
                                            As passengers voice their disapproval with their wallets, airlines will rebel. Already Emirates has a program to loan laptops to their premium travelers. I can imagine US airlines doing the same, although probably for an extra fee. We might learn how to make this work: keeping our data in the cloud or on portable memory sticks and using unfamiliar computers for the length of the flight.
                                            A more likely response will be comparable to what happened after the US increased passenger screening post-9/11. In the months and years that followed, we saw different ways for high-revenue travelers to avoid the lines: faster first-class lanes, and then the extra-cost trusted traveler programs that allow people to bypass the long lines, keep their shoes on their feet and leave their laptops and liquids in their bags. It's a bad security idea, but it keeps both frequent fliers and airlines happy. It would be just another step to allow these people to keep their electronics with them on their flight.
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                                              The problem with this response is that it solves the problem for frequent fliers, while leaving everyone else to suffer. This is already the case; those of us enrolled in a trusted traveler program forget what it's like to go through "normal" security screening. And since frequent fliers -- likely to be more wealthy -- no longer see the problem, they don't have any incentive to fix it.
                                              Dividing security checks into haves and have nots is bad social policy, and we should actively fight any expansion of it. If the TSA implements this security procedure, it should implement it for every flight. And there should be no exceptions. Force every politically connected flier, from members of Congress to the lobbyists that influence them, to do without their laptops on planes. Let the TSA explain to them why they can't work on their flights to and from D.C.
                                              #####EOF##### TSA screeners failed tests to detect explosives, weapons - CNNPolitics

                                              Acting TSA director reassigned after screeners failed tests to detect explosives, weapons

                                              Washington (CNN)The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that the acting administrator for the Transportation Security Administration would be reassigned, following a report that airport screeners failed to detect explosives and weapons in nearly every test that an undercover team conducted at dozens of airports.

                                              According to a report based on an internal investigation, "red teams" with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General were able to get banned items through the screening process in 67 out of 70 tests it conducted across the nation.
                                              The test results were first reported by ABC News, and government officials confirmed them to CNN. Mark Hatfield, acting deputy director, will take over for Melvin Carraway until a new acting administrator is appointed. It was not immediately clear Tuesday where Carraway would be reassigned.
                                                Late Monday, Johnson issued a statement announcing Carraway's reassignment.
                                                "Today, all air travelers are subject to a robust security system that employs multiple layers of protection, both seen and unseen, including: intelligence gathering and analysis, cross-checking passenger manifests against watchlists, screening at checkpoints, random canine team screening at airports, reinforced cockpit doors, Federal Air Marshals, armed pilots and a vigilant public," the spokesperson said.
                                                "In combination, these layers provide enhanced security creating a much stronger and protected transportation system for the traveling public."
                                                Homeland Security's report on the tests is set to be issued later this summer and is still being written.
                                                A Homeland Security spokesperson said that "the numbers in these reports never look good out of context, but they are a critical element in the continual evolution of our aviation security."
                                                Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called the failure rate "deeply alarming."
                                                "Over the past six years, we have seen TSA consume an enormous amount of government resources, but I'm not convinced we have much to show for it," he said in a statement. "After spending over $540 million on baggage screening equipment and millions more on training, the failure rate today is higher than it was in 2007. Something is not working."
                                                "I have long been a proponent of using low-tech bomb-sniffing dogs to detect weapons and explosives," he said. "Government needs to recognize that the most effective solution is not always the most expensive one."
                                                  The spokesperson said DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson directed TSA to take "a series of actions, several of which are now in place," to address the issues the red team tests identified -- but didn't identify what those actions are.
                                                        #####EOF#####